Well I have to accept that for my varmit rigs it's going to be remingtons......I have changed from a 22/250 to a .243 winnie.

The dealer has swapped out the laminate stock for HS........not sure if this a was good idea or not.

I am wondering which bullets are best for foxes........does the 70 gr Noslet BT really out perform the 55 gr Nosler that will do 4000 fps ??

does anyone get 3600 fps with a 70 gr Nosler from there .243 ??

I am going to make some changes to this gun so that I can live with it

Firstly I want all steal bottom metal, and I would like a Jewell Trigger.

PC

Not sure what you are after here , but it seems you got rid of a good shooting 22/250 because you didn't like the fact it was a Remington ?

I take it you aren't interested in saving the pelts ? as a .243 will put BIG holes in fox , sometimes near cut them in half .

Personally, for fox and down size stuff , I would be looking at some of the smaller cartridges like .223 ,.204 . The .204 is friggin amazing ,it just shoots flatter than it's numbers would indicate .

And there are a number of appealing rifles other than Remington or CZ , although you outa take a look at a CZ varmint wieght in the small .223 action . A very appealing package that balances and carries well . Another that I really like is the Winchester Coyote . Has a nice blend of weight , balance and bulk. I find most of the current Reminton varmint models to be a bit ungainly , too long and needlessly heavy .

At any rate good luck with your search !

quote:

.......does the 70 gr Noslet BT really out perform the 55 gr Nosler that will do 4000 fps ??

How far are you shooting?

The little 55 grain bullet runs out of steam quicker than the 70 grain bullet will.

I've used the 70 gr BT on groundhogs & just love it!

.204 and don't look back!!

SD,

your mate I have no interest in saving pelts,

when I had picked up the cz it was an awsome looking rifle but it was a bitch to load that magazine and it fed poorly......my first dissapointment with a cz. SD I was also a little bored of the 22/250. I wam gping to make changes to this rem so that I can live with it better. The cz 550 22/250 uses a 30/06 length action and a box mag, the small round swims in the action, I think they would have been better just using a regular floor plate design rather than the box mag even with the 30/06 length action. My dealer said I had a dudd magazine and changing that would solve the issue but it was still slow to reload the 22/250 rounds. My mag fed .22 hornet cz is easy to load Also with the cz I like the fact there all steel, that is what appeals to me most...and that trigger !! I for instance hate the bottom metal on the rems and am considering changing that out for a steel unit if possible.

So the 70 gr bullets are the go in the .243.....are they as exposive on game, say if you hit a rabbit will you get red mist or will the 55 gr bullet do that better.

The .204 is a good suggestion and cz make there little 527 in that cal and I own one in .22 hornet anld love it.......just want more whollop as it will see use on some larger thin skinned stuff.

quote:

Originally posted by Cold Bore:
[QUOTE].......does the 70 gr Noslet BT really out perform the 55 gr Nosler that will do 4000 fps ??

How far are you shooting?

I would like to learn how to shoot to 450 500 yards as a maximum on foxes & rabbits. I feel that is a bloody long way but If I could whop somebunny's out at that range I would be happy !!

PC , I think you'd be a good candidate for a CZ 527 varmint weoght . They make them in .17 Rem , .223 , and .204 . Of course they got the magazine just like your Hornet , but they feed good , and the cartridges fit the action just right .

SD I bought a 250 pack of nosler 70 gr 6mm BT's today, ordered .243 dies (Redding) and bought warne bases and rings. Rifle will be in next week.

My scope (6.5-20x40) should be back from Spradlins next week as well.

I think the 70 gr Nos BT will work better on roo's than a .204 ruger or the 22/250.

Personally I have no interest in the 55's. I load 65 grain V max's to 3600+ fps with RL15. You should be able to get 3600 or close enough it won't matter with the 70's. The 243 is awesome for what you want and while the 204 may be a flat shooting SOB it is not in the 243's league when it comes to whack factor.

Yes , if you want the gun to do duty on the roos at times a .243 will do better than the small calibers.

Try the 85 gr Speer boatail on roos sometime. It works pretty good for side chest shots on whitetails .

SD,

I have never set eyes on a whitetail deer but I am thinking that other than Kangaroo's being extremely heavily boned in the hips they would be similar creatures, big male roo's may get to 150-200 pounds.....but they are thin skinned and have smaller heads than deers.

Thanks for the help thus far folks !!

Funnily enough looking at a 22/250 case a nd .243 case there does not look to the eye to be a hell of a lot of difference in size.

The hardest thing to figure at long range is wind drift so the load thats best at that is the one to use. Of course richocets, expansion, trajectory etc must all be considered.

Once one is using enough gun any bullet that expands and penetrates will do the job just fine. The 243 is enough gun on foxes.

The Remingtons that I have had all had crisp adjustable triggers. It's thier safeties that I don't like.

quote:

Originally posted by PC:
SD I bought a 250 pack of nosler 70 gr 6mm BT's today, ordered .243 dies (Redding) and bought warne bases and rings. Rifle will be in next week.

My scope (6.5-20x40) should be back from Spradlins next week as well.

I think the 70 gr Nos BT will work better on roo's than a .204 ruger or the 22/250.

Now you need to cancel that order and reorder for a 6mm, and swap them 243 dies to 6mm, also. Then you'd have a good, more efficient, accurate round. Then I could give you some good load info. Jay

Jay in hind sight you may be right !! but it would be to much stuffing about at this point.

If I shoot this barrel in a couple of years may be that would be an option !!

The other thing is Jay .243 stuff is "just so common in Australia" we have many less options than you guys in the states........I think we get your dregs !!

You should've no problem getting that 243 to shoot, about 40grs. of Varget with the 70BTs should give them roos a bit of go. Jay

I sold my 223, 22-250, 234, 7mm Rem Mag, 30-06 and bought a 300 Win Mag.

One gun that kills them all, but depending on if you want anything left to eat. Head shots are necessary on small game or nothing will be left.

I shot a lot of 60gr in my 243

PC ,
My .22/250 VSSF turned into a .243 Ackley with a Tobler barrel and Rifle Basix trigger about 18 months ago .
The 6mm Nosler BT's are fairly solid for roo and fox shooting and will give complete penetration 99% of the time . I killed 2 roos with my first shot in anger out of this barrel with the 55 grainer . The 75 V Maxes seem to kill quicker most of the time .
My rifle shoots groups that are half the size of the 70's with the 55 grainers (5 in the 3's) and 46.5 gns of AR 2208 at 4030 FPS (760 is good too) . You should be able to duplicate that load as it is 200FPS below maximum in my rifle . You can probably get to 3600 FPS with the 70 grainer and AR 2208 (I could get over 3700) but I found that accuracy improved as I got back close to 3500 . This was too slow for my liking so didn't pursue . Tried 4 powders and about every realistic load at higher velocity . Seems to be an accurate node at around 3500 FPS or little lower with a 26 inch barrel in the .243 .
The other projectile that I have tried that shoots really well is the 80 gn Berger .
Do yourself a favour and buy Lapua brass .
PM me if you want more info.

Load you up some cases using 41.0 grains of VARGET, Federal 210 MATCH primers, seated 15/1000's off the lands and let us know if your .243 likes it!!! No it won't go 3600fps!!! But 3518fps ain't that far off and does the fox know the difference? The 3518fps number is from 4 different rifles chambered for .243Win!!! Later on this AM, I will check out a Ruger #1 using this same load to see if it's worth dinking with!!! If a .243 won't shoot that load with that bullet......it's the odd one!!! And it packs enough wallop for groundhogs, coyotes, foxes, and probably 150 lb Kangaroos but the last ones of them left Virginia a few months back so testing on them is not feasable!!! GHD

GHD,

I will give that load a go !!

This barrel will be 26"I think. Funnily enough the ADI manual lists 40.5gr of AR2208 (Varget) as max for 3574 fps from a 24" barrel.

The Nosler manual lists 42 gr as max so I reckon you might be spot on the money with 41 gr !!

I hope I have a fast barrel I see some poste on HA was getting over 3700 fps with Varget load may have been using IMR 4350, but it seemed a little optomistic.

My goal would be 3600 fps I would be elated with that.

PC ,
PM sent .
Note the observations about 3500 FPS above . Same experience as mine . Better a hit at 3500 than a miss at 3600 .

I used a 75 gr Sierra HP out of a 26" barreled 243 at 3600 fps til the barrel wore out. It dipatched everything up to 100 lbs with one shot. The powder that I would still use with bullets from 70 grs on up is IMR 4350.

Now that the plastic tipped bullets are available I favor them for their superior BCs. My 243 is now a 22" walk around rifle and I shoot the 58 gr VMax at 3750 fps. The only reason I use that light bullet is that I can see them hit the critters and that adds to the fun.

Check here with Diciple of Keith. He is a pro kangaroo hunter in your land.

I would carry two loads now that I am sweet on the light bullet. Hornady makes a 87 gr VMax with a very high BC.

The 243 is an outstanding varmint cartridge and a real hammer on small stuff. It should be perfect for what you got it for.

I never shoot anything smaller than 70gr. in my .243Win. or 6mm Rem. My best results come with the Sierra 70gr. HPBT Match and the Nosler 70gr. Bal. Tip. Both are super accurate in my rifles. This Sierra is not really a varmint bullet
but does an excellent job nontheless. For larger, tougher varmint you'd be hard pressed to do better than the Sierra 85gr HPBT which is also quite accurate as well as being a good killer. Best wishes.

Cal - Montreal

Cal,

I have purchased 250 Nosler 70 gr BT's so I need to make them work !!

quote:

Originally posted by PC:
Cal,

I have purchased 250 Nosler 70 gr BT's so I need to make them work !!

FWIW, I tried the 80 grainers when Nosler had the "Test the Best" deal, of course this was with a far superior 6mm but, once I found the right amount of Varget(39 grains in my case), it was under 1/2" groups @100yds. for 5 shots. I just ordered 100 and they'll be here Monday along with some 87gr. Hornady BTHPs. I shall report on both bullets. Shot the 87 Vmaxs with IMR4831 and got a nice group, we'll try some RE19 next, again, this is with a superior 6mm Jay

Jay your giving me a complex.....I new little about the 6mm when I orderd the .243

Well I need to shoot this barrel out and the jump to the 6mm. To be honest I am not to bothered.....I will just have to make do with the .243 for now !!

PC, I tested the Ruger #1 with the 26" barrel today using the 41.0 grains of Varget load and just like the other .243's I've tested it in.....it's a keeper! The velocity for 13 shots over the chrony was 3505fps. GHD

GHD, What kind of accuracy are you getting with that load? Jay

GHD,

have you ever tried Nosler manuals max load of 42 gr of Varget ??

Can't wait to see what 70 gr Noslers will do to bunny's !!

Jay, One old model Remington Varmint Special(fluer-de-lis checkering pattern ) and one newer model from the 80's, both shoot(or shot..old one is now a .243AI) into the mid .3's and low .4's consistently and the Ruger #1 was in .7-.8" for 4 groups.
When I stepped up the load to 42 grains , accurracy dropped considerably.....as in up to 1" with the BDL Varminters!
As someone else here mentioned, I like the 87 grain VMAX's for a varmint bullet in the 6mm's! GHD

quote:

Originally posted by groundhog devastation:
Jay, One old model Remington Varmint Special(fluer-de-lis checkering pattern ) and one newer model from the 80's, both shoot(or shot..old one is now a .243AI) into the mid .3's and low .4's consistently and the Ruger #1 was in .7-.8" for 4 groups.
When I stepped up the load to 42 grains , accurracy dropped considerably.....as in up to 1" with the BDL Varminters!
As someone else here mentioned, I like the 87 grain VMAX's for a varmint bullet in the 6mm's! GHD

3s and 4s, and an occasional 2s is what I get with my late 80s 6mm VS shooting 75gr Sierras, mainly. The 80 Power-Lokts are good shooters, too. Though they've got a lower BC, but out to 300yds. it really don't matter much. Man, once I think about all the different bullets I've shot through my 6mm, ok, here goes: 1. Sierra 85HPBT, 2. Sierra 75HP, 3. 80PLs, 4. Hornady 75HP, 5. Nosler 80BT, 6. Sierra 70MK, 7. Berger 95VLD, 8. Hornady 87VMAX.
FWIW, my 6mm don't like max loads either. Jay

PC ,
Forget the Sierra 70gn SMK for roo shooting . It's hopeless .Drills little holes .
I have tried the 87 gn V Max and got some great 3 shot groups . 5 shotters blow out to about 0.75 regardless of powder or charge weight .Expect them to be good on roos but how about 300 metre headshots on foxes ?
Tried the 95 Berger VLD in my 9 inch twist but can't get it to shoot at the velocity I want (3250 fps) and won't fit in the magazine when seated close to lands . Shot a roo in the chest and bullet didn't exit . Bergers must be soft ? Reckon I'd try the 90 gn Berger Boat tail for a heavy varmint bullet .
Don't expect the 70 Noslers to really explode rabbits at longer ranges . They don't .
Lapua 77gn Scenars sound good in theory for varmints . Good BC .

BC,

I have 250x Nosler 70 gr Ballistic Tips so that is the bullet of choice !!

I think it may be to hard & big for bunny's but I reckon foxes & hoppers and feral cats wont know what hit them !!

PC,

I would not worry about the 243 versus the 6mm Remington. I have 6 or so 243s and one 6mm Rem on a long action...

The 6mm Rem only really shines when it is put on a long action, and bullets can be seated way out there....

As far as 243s, if you want to hit 3600 fps with 70 grain bullets, try a little playing with Hodgdon H 414, which is the same as Winchester 760 ( same powder)...

As far as a Remington also, you may want to have a gunsmith throat the chamber out a hair, as they do have tight chambers... that will allow the bullets to be seated out a hair more and will allow enough velocity to perform like a 243 AI...

A sleeper batch of bullets for that round that are very accurate are the 75 grain HPs from Hornady, or Speer or Sierra... Inexpensive versus the Noslers, but just as accurate and just as explosive......

I shoot lots of them!

Cheers and good luck with the rifle.

seafire

seafire, Where did you get your knowledge of H414 being the "same powder" as Winchester 760??? Just curious! GHD

PC ,
The Noslers will do the job , no doubt about that .Usually not a lot of wow factor though (if you like blood and guts) . Don't expect roos to be blown off their feet and you won't be disappointed . If I could make them shoot into less than half an inch at 3650 FPS I'd still be using them myself . I've used 2 boxes whilst fireforming .

quote:

Originally posted by groundhog devastation:
seafire, Where did you get your knowledge of H414 being the "same powder" as Winchester 760??? Just curious! GHD

I'm not seafire, but I've talked to a Hodgdon tech about it and he told me they're the same powder made in the same plant in Florida, just different labels and lot#. Jay

BC,

not sure I would bother with a 22/250 I would rather have a second .243 set up I think, one for 70gr + and one with 55 gr Nos BT's (a super charged 22/250)

Thanks for all the help folks !!

quote:

Originally posted by groundhog devastation:
seafire, Where did you get your knowledge of H414 being the "same powder" as Winchester 760??? Just curious! GHD

Oh from about half a dozen postings on the forum here.......Which has been talked about at length...

It pretty much holds true in my book and experiences.... NO reason to doubt the few that have said they have had experience at the factory where the stuff is made... out of the same production just different lot numbers...

Close enough for government work in their load data....

cheers
seafire

Jay and seafire!! Thanks!! I was out of H-414 but do have some 760!!! Think I'll just go to the reloading room and charge some .260's behind the 85 grain SIERRA's using the 750 instead of the H414!!! Will let you know the results!!! GHD PS: seafire, this was not meant as a flame!!! I will check it out!!! I think VARGET is really IMR 3031 in a more user friendly existance!!!